Thursday, November 1, 2012

After Dark Jewelry is back in the United States! After a quiet summer of remodeling our 1850's abode, my studio has been knocked into shape and jewelry is flying out the doors once again! Oh, it has been too long, my dear friends; it was brilliant to travel the globe in search of unique adventures, but the beating of my heart kept calling me back to the studio. It is time to be still; to focus; to create.

Castle in Meersburg, My Previous Village in Germany

In celebration of my return, I am thrilled to announce my largest giveaway to date: A custom After Dark Jewelry Clay Portrait Necklace in which YOU lend a hand in the creation!

Thursday, November 1st marks the beginning of this week long contest. The event will run for 1 week, ending at 11:59pm CST, November 8th, and the winner will be chosen via
a randomized generator system. We will work together to incorporate your favorite image (public domain or personal photograph / artwork) and choose from a selection of frames, as well as colors which compliment your chosen artwork.

Eternity Necklace

Eternity Necklace (back)

Red Riding Hood Necklace

Do you have a favorite painting you've always wanted to keep close to your heat? Do you have an idea for a personal totem or relic and have not yet had the opportunity to make it a reality? This is your opportunity to assist in the creation of the a necklace of your dreams, unique and personalized exclusively for you!

Midsummer Eve Necklace

This is the most extravagant contest I've had the pleasure of conducting in the history of After Dark Jewelry, valuing in excess of $130.00. Because of the unique circumstance which has inspired my desire to hold this contest, this will likely be the
only time an opportunity this large is offered, so please begin sharing,
tweeting and posting to your friends to help spread the news! I would
like as many people as possible to have the opportunity to own their own
unique After Dark Jewelry creation. This is so exciting; the holiday season is upon us, and what a cherished
holiday gift this would make for a loved one!

Circe Invidiosa Necklace

Circe Invidiosa Necklace (back)

da Vinci Bottle

The RULES:

Step 1: Please comment on this blog post with your answer to the following question: What would you like to see more of this coming year in the After Dark Jewelry boutique? Here are a few examples to get your creative inspiration flowing:

Time in a Bottle Necklace

- Victorian Inspired Jewelry

- Icons of History (ex. Anne Boleyn; Marie Antoinette)

- Art Nouveau

- Medieval Relics

- Rennaisance

- Dark Art

- Iconography

Vanity Necklace

Your answers are free to be as long or as short as you desire. Some are more comfortable describing their thoughts in detail -- go for it! Others have a short, direct style of communication. All replies have equal weight in this contest. I truly appreciate all of your input; all replies will help make After Dark Jewelry an even better shopping experience for you!

Iconography Necklace

Step 2: Please 'like' After Dark Jewelry on Facebook, or sign up for our monthly Newsletter to receive breaking news at the studio and information on the release of new designs and upcoming sales. If you are already a part of the After Dark Jewelry community, then you are one step ahead of the competition!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Traveling the world, My Dears! At the moment, I am spending a glorious summer in Ithaca, New York while Dr. B wraps up a study at Cornell. We will be heading back to Europe for a cozy Medieval winter, then it is off to the Panamanian jungle for a year!

History continues to be a main source of inspiration for the jewelry I create, and I thought I'd break my (blog) fast by sharing some of my recent historically inspired custom work with you. I am entirely obsessed with the outrageously ostentatious Elizabethan Era:

I am incredibly inspired by the Elizabethan lace ruffs so prevalent in the portraiture of that time period. Here is my first finished work based on the lace ruff motif:

My crown is in my heart, not in my head, Nor decked with diamonds and Indian stones, Nor to be seen; my crown is called contentment; A crown it is, that seldom kings enjoy.William Shakespeare

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dr. B and I recently spent a long weekend traveling the length of Switzerland and I came home bearing a gift from Bern's Munster Cathedral:

Inspiration.

It will not come as a surprise to most that I have a fondness for Gothic architecture and Medieval history. Nay, not mere fondness. It is adoration bordering on the divine when crossing the threshold of a 1000 years young castle. Tears of joy roll down my cheeks as I sit quietly in an old cathedral pew; trembling in delight, in wonder...

'Thrilled to the marrow' is a phrase reserved for moments such as these.

I brought the above images home to my studio, along with the memories of cold stone and layered varnish; of stained glass and carved wood...

...and began to create.

I'm pleased to announce I've designed my first new piece of jewelry in one long, difficult year. At last.

Quatrefoil Crown Earrings

Inspired by my visit to Munster Cathedral, I've created a version of the beloved quatrefoil motif in swarovski pearl beads. They may be found, along with a hundred other jewels, in my Etsy shop. I plan to design thousands more.

Quatrefoil Crown Earrings - Back View

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.Now put foundations under them.Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A long-term illness has kept me quiet and in a haze of ineptitude for more than a year. My better half, scientist and problem-solver that he is, whisked me out of the country for the 'European Cure'. Oh, my -- this was THE gift of a lifetime. We are currently settled in Germany in a wee village on the outskirts of the gorgeous Medieval city of Wuerzburg. Before I continue, please allow me to share my new home with you:

The Majestic City of Wuerzburg

A statue on the Old Main Bridge and a bit of local humor

A sleepy hidden chapel nestled inside the Dom Cathedral

Exquisite artwork by the owner of the home we currently rent.A painter in his spare time, his stunning book of illuminatedmanuscripts took 5 years to complete.

The Town Hall

Out and about on a 'Family Walk' -- Inari runs through these fieldson her daily visit to her friends -- the sheep, horses, and chickenswhich live nearby.

The city's castle -- Fortress Marienberg

Elegant weathered niches displaying statues of a religious natureare to be found in every nook and cranny of the city. The aboveexample is on display just down the street from our cozy little home.

A glimpse of village architecture

The Dom Cathedral Cloisters -- long stretches devoted to thedearly departed. Ancient tombs line the walls and floor of thissacred space.

Inari in her element -- basking in the glow of the sun's rays likethe kitty she is at heart.

A castle moat, long since filled in by earth

My favorite work of art in all of Wuerzburg --Trauernde Maria aus Acholshausenby Tilman Riemenschneider in 1505.A photo of Maria resides by my desk for inspiration.

A dragonfly visitor knocks on our door(Not to worry -- Dr. B is an experienced entomologist and adept athandling these lovelycreatures in a gentle and considerate manner)

Walking Home

Our new surroundings have influenced my health and happiness in astounding ways. I have found my precious creativity once again (it was hiding under a castle stone in the Mosel Valley) and am more healthy and happy than ever before! My time in Europe has been the most inspiring journey of my life, and the adventures are just beginning. Even now, as we run our fingers over ancient stone in rapture, we are forging ahead. We are wrapping hands around the neck of fate and mapping the next nomadic exploit. Shall it be a year in India? South America? Africa?

If you could grasp the Earth by a string, which world would you choose?

In the meantime, I shall sit down at my studio desk and create -- for you and for me.